EXCLUSIVE Gok Wan: ‘There’s no point in being famous’

We all know and love Gok Wan for his great fashion tips and, more recently, tasty Chinese recipes. But he reveals there’s something more important to him than the glitz and glamour of his showbiz career.

‘Charity’s really important to me,’ he tells Woman’s Own. ‘I think all of us would like to do more charity work – I know I definitely would. My mum drummed that into us when we were growing up. There’s no point in being famous otherwise. What’s left? You get seen in a restaurant faster than anybody else, and that’s about it. A free pair of shoes? Forget it. You might as well do something with your fame.’

He’s currently working with Vodafone to promote their World of Difference campaign, which gives people the chance to take a break from their job and work for a charity of their choice.

‘It’s a brilliant opportunity to do something that you might never have tried before with the pressures of a job, finances, mortgages and families,’ he says. ‘But if I did it, then I wouldn’t be able to do this job and promote the charity. So I like to think I’m doing it vicariously by getting 500 people into charity work.’

Gok is the ambassador for Vodafone’s World of Difference UK programme which gives 500 people the chance to work for a charity of their choice, and get paid for their time – vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference

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